


It’s the Family You Make That Matters

by In_A_Kingdom_By_The_Sea



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mostly they are like bickering siblings, Platonic Relationship, Some violence but not overly graphic, even though she hurts me, i don’t think anyway, this is for babs, who deserves nice things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24156817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_A_Kingdom_By_The_Sea/pseuds/In_A_Kingdom_By_The_Sea
Summary: Carter irritates Azu to no end, but woe be to the person who would dare hurt him.
Relationships: Azu & Howard Carter
Comments: 16
Kudos: 36





	It’s the Family You Make That Matters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ConcentratedMatter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConcentratedMatter/gifts).



> For Babs, who is a gift of a friend and part of the family I made. I hope you like it.

“Move over!” Azu grumbled, jabbing one elbow, armored in burnished pink steel, into Carter’s ribs. 

Carter grunted and elbowed back out of instinct, the clang of bone against steel plate audible, too audible in the still night air, but Azu grinned to herself as she watched him try to maintain his expression. “That didn’t hurt,” his expression read. “I am definitely not biting my tongue and swallowing a not insignificant amount of blood and curse words about it,” it added.

“You’re a pile of dung,” he finally managed, “and you take up too much room. I don’t know why I always get paired with you for patrol.”

“I’m not sure what I did to piss off Wilde either,” Azu agreed, but tried to sink further into the rocks to her other side. They were pressed into a shallow depression in the base of a small cliff on the far side of the island, a spot they knew well and often used to rest and have a meal. Far too shallow to be called a cave, it still boasted a bit of an overhang to shelter them from the worst of the wind and rain, enough for a small fire, and meant their backs were covered. Even though the unnatural storm had abated, regular weather was rainy more often than not this time of year. It was a tight squeeze for two people, especially when one of them was an orc. 

It had been weeks since the last time they encountered a straggler from Shoin’s institute, one who had escaped before the kobolds had regained their full senses, still bent on revenge. Azu didn’t quite understand what they hoped to accomplish, they died to their hands, every last one, and by now she was sure they’d seen the last of them. Wilde was Wilde, though, and insisted they kept up their patrols. For how much longer, only he knew. Azu thought it might be a while. 

Carter reached into his coat and pulled out a flask. Uncorking it, he took a swig and looked sideways at Azu, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

“ _Carter_. You know we shouldn’t. We’re on duty.” Carter raised one shoulder and dropped it noncommittally. Azu’s nostrils flared and she frowned. 

“...is that the Orcish moonshine?”

“Maaaaybe?” Carter’s grin was fully mischievous now as he leaned away from Azu, holding the flask out of her reach. 

“Oh _no no no_ , you wanted me away from you. I’m moving over, like you said!”

“Carter. We’re supposed to be working. And besides, I’m not carrying you back to the inn, you absolute camel. You can’t handle that stuff, or have you forgotten?”

“You could summon _your_ camel though, couldn’t you?”

“Topaz doesn’t _like_ you. Because last time you drank Orcish moonshine out here, and I had to come find you, you called her a ‘lumpy horse’ and threw up on her neck.”

Carter twisted his face into an expression of mock outrage. 

“I did no such thing. I was making conversation and she found me very charming. And I didn’t vomit, it was an… enthusiastic burp.”

Azu rolled her eyes. Pushing his torso back against the wall she began to lean across him when a whistling sound thrummed past her face. She saw the flask slip from his hand and tumble to the ground, the pungent odor of the spirits filling her nostrils as it spilled out into the dirt. She straightened up again. 

“Carter…?” It was then she saw the arrow sprouting from his neck. His eyes widened in confusion, his grin falling, his hands coming up to grasp the wooden shaft. Slowly, gods, so slowly. She heard another whistling noise and felt the punch of an arrow in her ribs. It hadn’t pierced her armor, but she wasn’t wearing a helmet, and she knew more would follow. 

Carter was slumping sideways to the ground, blood seeping between his fingers, both hands clasped round the shaft. Rage bloomed in Azu’s chest, and she shielded his body. 

“Carter. _CARTER_. Don’t. _Don’t pull it out_. Do you understand me?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but there was only blood. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. 

Azu launched herself out of the depression, and heard leather bindings pop as she released her great axe from where it was strapped to her back. It was past sunset, and the last light was fading, but Azu could see clearly. She scanned the treeline of the nearby patch of forest. There. Behind that tree. One foot and a bow, visible as their assailant nocked another arrow. It was all she needed. 

She thundered across the distance, two hundred yards, and closed it quickly - more quickly than anyone might have expected. Her powerful muscles bunched and released, strong legs carrying her even in her armor, her breath hissing, murder in her eyes. One more arrow loosed, and glanced harmlessly off her steel shoulder pad. The assailant turned to flee, making for deeper woods, and they were fast. 

But not fast enough. 

A choir of angelic song reverberated through the night air as Azu’s great axe swung like a baseball bat. It bit through padded leather armor, through skin, through muscle, through bone. The would-be assassin slumped unceremoniously to the ground, nearly cleaved in two. Azu stared down at him, panting - it was a him, she could see now, and dressed in the same manner as all of Shoin’s guards had been. She had no time for him. 

Azu sprinted back to Carter and dropped to her knees beside him. His eyes were closed, and he was pale. So very pale. She could not see his chest rising and falling, and she didn’t have time to check. She took a deep breath and with hands that shook only a little, pulled the arrow out in one swift motion, before clamping her hands over the wound. The blood made them slick almost instantly as she closed her eyes and muttered a prayer more fervently than she had since Rome. 

“Aphrodite be with me now, guide me in your infinite love and infinite wisdom, _help me to heal this man._ ” Every fiber of her body cried out to her god, pleaded with her for power. 

It came. She felt it flow through her, a warmth, a calm, like summer rain, soft, pink, bright, and healing. She felt the wound close beneath her palm. Opening her eyes, she sat back on her heels and prayed once more, silently, for Carter to open his eyes. 

For a moment nothing happened, and a knot began to form in her chest. But then he coughed, and his eyes fluttered open, and Azu felt every bit of tension leave her body at once. Tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, she gathered him up and held him tight against her breastplate. 

“Don’t you ever try to die on me again, you stupid pile of dung.” Azu buried her face in his hair. 

“You’re a pile of dung. Ow.” came Carter’s muffled reply, and Azu squeezed him tightly, once, before letting him go. 

Carter slumped back against the wall and rubbed his neck, now unmarked, but still wet with blood. He looked at his hand, and frowning, wiped it clean on Azu’s shinguard. 

“Bet you feel bad for trying to take a man’s last drink now, huh?” He managed a weak smile. Azu rolled her eyes again, but she was smiling too. 

“Don’t worry. I have another. Just regular whiskey, this one, though. And only a little.” Carter pulled out another flask, from where, Azu couldn’t really guess. He uncorked it, raised it halfway to his lips, and stopped, considering. Then offered it to Azu. She took it. 

“Thank you. For saving me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Sooo... we can totally get Topaz to take us home now, right?” 

Azu smirked. 

“Absolutely not.”

They settled into a companionable silence, sipping whiskey by the firelight. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
